Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Ajit Pawar has announced that the leadership of the state, including the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Ministers, and Cabinet positions, will be finalized after discussions with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Thursday. The oath-taking ceremony is expected to occur by December 1.
Speaking to reporters, Ajit Pawar confirmed that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and he will participate in the talks. He emphasized that decisions from the Wednesday meetings were unanimously supported by all MahaYuti alliance partners.
Eknath Shinde declared his support for the BJP’s candidate for Chief Minister, stating his commitment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. State BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule praised Shinde’s decision as a move to strengthen the NDA and MahaYuti coalition further.
Ajit Pawar thanked Maharashtra voters and MahaYuti workers for their overwhelming support, noting the increased responsibilities the alliance now holds. He highlighted the importance of the upcoming winter session in Nagpur, which will address supplementary budget demands. Pawar also stressed the urgency of securing central government funds for Maharashtra’s development projects.
Responding to growing calls within the NCP for him to take up the Chief Minister’s role, Pawar remarked that leadership decisions are influenced by legislative strength. He also addressed opposition criticism of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), dismissing claims of malfunction as baseless and reiterating the Supreme Court’s trust in their integrity. Pawar criticized opponents for blaming EVMs only when election results do not favor them, citing past national and state elections as examples.
The MahaYuti alliance aims to finalize decisions promptly to focus on governance and advancing the state’s development agenda.
